Cary mayor's race too close to call

Results in the race for Cary mayor were too close to call Tuesday, with current village president Mark Kownick holding less than a 1 percentage point lead over challenger Jim Cosler as of 10:30 p.m.

Unofficial totals with 3,089 votes counted Tuesday showed Kownick holding 50.34 percent of votes to Cosler's 49.66 percent.

Six candidates are also vying Tuesday for three 4-year terms on the village board: incumbents Duane "Rick" Dudek and Jeffery Kraus and challengers Christine Betz, Jennifer Weinhammer, Christopher Naatz and Joe Tournier.

Unofficial totals showed Kraus and Weinhammer taking an early lead, with 19 percent of votes apiece. Tournier and Betz were pulling in about 16 percent of the vote apiece, Dudek had about 15 percent of the vote, and Natz had 14 percent.

Kownick, 57, is a business owner who is serving his first term as president and previously was an appointed trustee. He said his priority is pushing for economic development to help increase the village's revenues and reduce the tax burden on residents. He also believes annexing properties within the surrounding area and attracting more commercial development along Route 31 are key to Cary's future economic growth.

Cosler, 46, is a professional pilot who ran as a write-in candidate and was elected trustee in 2015. He says he would like to restore staffing levels to what they were - staffing was as high as 90 employees in 2009 and is now 58 employees.

Cosler campaigned against an $18 million affordable housing project by Pedcor Investments to build a 60-unit apartment complex on a 4.5-acre lot at the northeast corner of First and Pearl streets. Despite a resident movement opposing the project, it was approved in 2014 and construction began last year.

The village, is facing potential shortfalls in state funding and has a large deficit in its police pension fund. Cosler suggests spending should be reduced or eliminated. He also believes leaders need to look beyond downtown as many areas of town need support and promotion, and suggests attracting businesses that contribute to the sales tax base to alleviate the tax burden on residents.